Every year on Christmas Day, the NBA brings together 10 of the league's marquee teams for an action-packed slate of games.
2023 is no different.
This season will mark the 76th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day, with the first Christmas games taking place back in 1947.
Headlined by the game's brightest stars, this year's slate features five nationally televised games on the holiday that should bring plenty of excitement.
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Who is playing on Christmas Day in 2023?
There has been no official announcement from the NBA, but The Athletic's Shams Charania reports the following teams will be taking the court on Christmas Day.
- Bucks at Knicks
- 76ers at Heat
- Celtics at Lakers
- Mavericks at Suns
- Warriors at Nuggets
Based on the initial report, there will be no shortage of star power this Christmas.
The slate includes nine of the 10 teams that played on Christmas Day in 2022, with the Memphis Grizzlies replaced by the Miami Heat, fresh off their appearance in the NBA Finals.
The slate looks set to tip off with an Eastern Conference matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, while Jimmy Butler and the Heat will square off against his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Longtime rivals, the Lakers and Celtics, who are tied for the most championships in NBA history with 17, headline the festivities, with LeBron James locked in to extend his record for the most appearances on Christmas Day, with 2023 set to his 18th.
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The star-studded action will then move to Phoenix with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and the new-look Phoenix Suns hosting Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Christmas Day action will likely conclude with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the reigning champion Denver Nuggets taking on Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and the Golden State Warriors in Denver.
NBA’s Christmas Day games for the 2023-24 season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 11, 2023
🎄Bucks @ Knicks
🎄76ers @ Heat
🎄Celtics @ Lakers
🎄Mavericks @ Suns
🎄Warriors @ Nuggets
What channel are the NBA Christmas Day games on?
This season's Christmas Day games will be split as usual between ESPN and ABC.
While it is not known yet as to which teams will fill each timeslot, here are the traditional game times.
Time (ET) | Matchup | Channel |
Noon | TBD | ESPN |
2:30 p.m. | TBD | ABC |
5 p.m. | TBD | ABC |
8 p.m. | TBD | ESPN |
10:30 p.m. | TBD | ESPN |
Fans in the U.S. can watch the NBA Christmas day action on Sling TV, which is now offering half off your first month! Stream the sports you love starting at just $20 in your first month with Sling Orange to catch all the games on ESPN and ABC.
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